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5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

04 Jan

The post 5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

If you want to capture amazing bird photos, you absolutely need to master your camera settings.

Because camera settings determine whether your bird photos look blurry or sharp, well-exposed or lacking details.

In other words, your camera settings can be the difference between a great photo and a mediocre photo.

Which is why this article is dedicated to giving you the five camera settings that every bird photographer should know.

That way, you’ll never struggle to choose the correct camera settings again.

Let’s get started.

5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

1. Use Aperture Priority or Manual mode to set your exposure

First things first:

If you want to create beautiful bird photos, you have to make sure they’re well-exposed. This means that you need the right aperture and right shutter speed to create a bright, detailed photo.

How do you ensure that you capture a well-exposed bird photo?

You use Aperture Priority or Manual mode.

bird-photography-camera-settings-tips

Both of these modes are available via the Mode Dial on most cameras. Aperture Priority is the easier mode to use: It allows you to choose an aperture, while your camera selects a shutter speed based on its evaluation of the ambient light.

Manual mode forces you to choose both an aperture and a shutter speed. However, the camera viewfinder displays a bar that shows whether your choices will result in underexposure, overexposure, or an exposure that’s just right. If you use Manual mode, then you must carefully observe this bar to determine the best aperture and shutter speed for each photo.

If you’re a beginner, or if you’re shooting fast-paced scenes, Aperture Priority is generally the best choice. You can dial in a wide aperture (usually between f/5.6 and f/7.1), then allow your camera to choose a shutter speed. If the shutter speed is too low (more on that later!), then you can raise the ISO to compensate.

Manual mode is a bit trickier to use and takes some getting used to. Once you feel confident in your exposure skills, Manual mode might be the way to go. Manual mode is also a good choice if the background is changing rapidly, but the light on the bird remains the same (such as when you’re photographing a bird in flight). In such a situation, Manual mode will prevent the camera meter from changing your shutter speed in response to the changing background.

Here’s the bottom line:

To get a perfect exposure, you need to take control of your camera settings. And that starts by choosing a camera mode.

Both Aperture Priority and Manual will work. Start with Aperture Priority and, if you like, you can always work up to using Manual.

2. Use back-button focus to capture tack-sharp photos

Back-button focus is one of my favorite camera features because it’s just so amazingly useful.

Here’s why:

Back-button autofocus allows you to control your camera’s focus via a button on the camera’s back (sometimes labeled AF-ON). Rather than pressing the shutter button halfway to focus, then the rest of the way to capture a shot, back-button focus allows you to separate these two functions.

The shutter button is used for taking pictures.

And the AF-ON button is used for focusing.

This is invaluable if you want to focus and recompose, then track a moving subject, then focus and recompose again.

(You’ll want to make sure you’ve set your autofocus mode to AI-Servo, also known as AF-C.)

You see, if you press and hold the AF-ON button, it activates the continuous autofocus, which will track a moving subject.

But once you let go of the AF-ON button, the autofocus locks in place. Now the autofocus acts like one-shot AF, which locks focus and stays focused.

So if you come upon a bird that’s moving, you can track it via back-button focus. But as soon as the bird stops moving, you can let go of the AF-ON button, and test out different compositions, knowing that the focus won’t change.

The ibis in the photo below was moving along the water’s edge, but then stopped so I could grab this photo. I focused on the eye, but then reframed (a perfect situation for back-button focus!).

bird-photography-camera-settings-tips

Cool, right?

Plus, if you accidentally let go of the shutter button, you don’t have to deal with refocusing. Back-button focus stays locked in place.

That’s the power of back-button focus!

To set up back-button autofocus does take a bit of fiddling with camera settings, which is beyond the scope of this article. So take a look in your camera’s manual (or do a bit of Googling!). It’s worth it, I promise.

3. Use continuous shooting to nail the action shots

Bird photography often gives you the opportunity to capture amazing action shots. Photos of birds flying through the air, birds diving into the water, birds capturing fish.

But here’s the thing:

It’s easy to miss the action if you’re not prepared.

After all, birds move fast.

That’s why continuous shooting comes in handy.

Pretty much all cameras have a continuous shooting mode, these days. Continuous shooting allows you to fire off a burst of photos, generally between 5 frames per second and 15 frames per second.

So whenever you go out to do bird photography, switch your shooting mode to continuous shooting.

And then, when the action heats up, start shooting burst rather than single shots.

That’s what I did for this little blue heron shot. When the bird began to hunt, I started shooting in bursts, so I could be sure to get sharp shots with the beak near the water!

5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

Will you get a lot of throwaway images? Sure.

But you’ll also have a much better chance of getting the perfect image. So it’s undoubtedly worth it!

You do want to be careful, however, because your camera’s buffer can fill up quickly. When that happens, you won’t be able to shoot bursts until the camera has processed some of the images.

Just be mindful of your camera’s buffer.

And you’ll get some shots of a lifetime.

4. Choose a shutter speed of at least 1/500s (and probably faster)

If you want to capture sharp bird photos, then you have to use a fast shutter speed.

Because the shutter speed is what determines whether you freeze the scene, or whether it turns into one unpleasant blur.

Now, there is no one ideal shutter speed. If the bird in your scene is stationary, you’ll need a much slower shutter speed than if the bird in your scene is flapping its wings wildly.

But I can give you some recommendations that should ensure you get sharp bird photos, consistently.

First, if you’re shooting a motionless bird (for instance, a bird that’s sleeping or standing still), I recommend using a shutter speed of at least 1/500th of a second. This is to compensate for the length of your lens because longer lenses result in more potential for camera shake.

bird-photography-camera-settings-tips

Second, if you’re shooting a bird that’s moving at a slow to medium speed, around 1/1000th of a second is a good choice. This will freeze the movement, but won’t force you to crank up the ISO to compensate for underexposure.

Third, if you’re shooting a fast-moving bird, you should choose a shutter speed of at least 1/2000th. If the bird is flying at high speeds, then 1/2500th, 1/3200th, or even 1/4000th is a good choice. Birds move fast, and you don’t want to end up with a blurry shot because your shutter speed was a hair too slow.

5. Use the lowest ISO you can afford for noise-free photos

In bird photography, shutter speed and ISO tend to balance one another out.

If you choose a slower shutter speed, you don’t need a high ISO; if you choose a high ISO, you don’t need a slow shutter speed.

Now, ISO comes with a big downside: The higher the ISO, the more noise you’ll get in your photos. And noise is pretty much always bad.

On the other hand, a high ISO increases the brightness of your photos, which allows you to use a lightning-fast shutter speed without worry.

5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

So what do you do? How do you choose your ISO?

I recommend you start by determining an acceptable shutter speed. Use the guidelines in the previous tip if you’re struggling.

Then push your ISO up until you’ve reached your determined shutter speed – but don’t go any higher than you have to.

Because here’s the thing:

It’s better to get a noisy image than a blurry image. But the holy grail of photography is achieving sharp photos without noise.

So keep your ISO to a minimum.

And you’ll get the best possible shot.

5 camera settings every bird photographer should know: Conclusion

bird-photography-camera-settings-tips

Choosing the best settings for bird photography may seem difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.

Just remember the five camera settings that I’ve shared.

And you’ll be capturing amazing photos in no time!

If you have any other tips on bird photography camera settings, please share with us in the comments below, along with any photos you’d like to share.

The post 5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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The Absolute Beginners Guide to Camera Settings

11 Oct

The post The Absolute Beginners Guide to Camera Settings appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

When you bought your fancy camera with all its buttons and dials, you began a journey that few can endure.

Most people who buy a DSLR, never figure out how to use it. But the fact that you’re reading an article like this means that you’re determined to learn.

One of the most difficult phases of photography you’ll pass through is figuring out how your camera works. But once you understand even a little bit, the world of photography opens its doors to you.

If you’re new to photography, then this Absolute Beginners Guide to Camera Settings is for you.

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings-Start in auto mode

The Olympus Tough TG-6 comes with auto mode, more than a dozen scene modes, as well as aperture mode (one of the most used settings by photographers). This photo was taken by a child using a DSLR in auto mode.

Photographs are made with light

Buying paint and canvas does not guarantee that you will produce a nice painting, nor does buying a camera guarantee a good photo.

Your camera is a complicated piece of technology designed to capture the moment you see with your eye and make a picture. However, the main ingredient it uses is not ink or paint but light.

A poor photograph may be due to a lack of creativity. But many creative photos are ruined due to a wrong combination of camera settings used to make a picture. The most important camera settings are about what the camera does as it makes a picture out of light.

Using Auto Mode with Window Light

Small steps

Sure, cameras differ in their capability and quality, but it’s not really the camera that is ultimately responsible for how the photo turns out. You must have control over the camera to make it do what you want it to.

Every time you snap a picture, you need to make some decisions that are affected by camera settings:

Do I want my background to be in focus or not?
Should I freeze the action or capture motion blur?
Do I want my photo to be warm or cool-looking?
Is it best to capture a series of shots in burst mode or just one photo at a time?

These decisions, and many more, are represented by “camera settings.” You select certain settings so that the camera knows what to do when it takes a picture.

There are many settings and I want to walk you through some of the most important.

The best way to learn something is by taking small steps. Learn one step, and don’t move on until you understand it. Bookmark this and other articles so that you can come back to them as you grow in your understanding.

This was my attempt to capture my son’s first steps with an advanced camera that I didn’t know how to use.

Auto mode

Let’s begin in Auto mode. Look for the dial on the top of your camera. You’ll either see the word auto or perhaps just a green box or icon.

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings-Auto Mode

What does Auto mode do? It means that your camera will make all the decisions for you and choose all the settings. All you have to do is take the picture!

When you put your camera in Auto mode, you’re basically saying, “I don’t know how to work this thing!” There is no shame in not understanding how your camera works. If you are determined, you will learn over time.

It is possible to take nice photos in Auto mode. Part of the reason that auto mode can work so well is that it frees your mind from the technical aspects of photography that you don’t understand yet. Auto mode allows you to focus on the creative elements and use of light that you’re more likely drawn to.

Auto Mode Examples

Auto mode exercise

Go ahead and put your camera in Auto mode. Get out into the world and take lots of pictures. As you sort through your photos, make a list of the problems you run into. It’s easier to learn photography and grow when you’ve got specific problems that you can ask questions about.

Problems with Auto mode

You’re going to run into lots of problems in Auto mode, but how come? Shouldn’t your camera be smart enough to take a great picture on its own?

First, your camera has no idea what it’s looking at. So, it doesn’t know what you’re taking a picture of and it doesn’t know what you want the picture to look like.

All it’s trying to do is take a picture with the right exposure. Exposure refers to how bright or dark your photo is and it’s all the camera really cares about in auto mode.

You may see an inspiring scene in front of you, but the camera doesn’t. All it’s trying to do is expose your photo properly, and even that doesn’t work well many times.

Common problems in Auto mode include motion blur.

Overexposed highlights are another major problem in Auto mode.

Over time, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you wish you could make your camera do. You’ll say, “I wish I could tell my camera to…”

The good news is, there is actually a way to tell your camera what you’re taking a picture of and how you wish it would look.

How to tell your camera what you’re taking a picture of

If you tell your camera what you’re taking a picture of, you’ll increase the odds of getting a better photo.

The way to tell your camera what you’re taking a picture of is to use the scene mode option on your camera. Scene mode covers the most popular photography situations such as landscape, portrait, close-up, sports, etc.

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings-Scene mode

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings-Scene modes

When you select the appropriate scene, you’re telling your camera what you’re photographing. Your camera will choose a combination of settings that are best suited to that situation. It’s going to choose roughly the same settings that an experienced photographer would use.

You can use Sports mode when photographing quick moving kids, or when you’re photographing any action. There will still be imperfections in your photos, but you’re more likely to freeze the action.

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings-Freeze Action

Freeze quick-moving subjects with Sports mode.

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings-Portrait Mode

Portrait mode will help your camera achieve an out-of-focus background. That background blur is referred to as bokeh.

Landscape mode will favor a greater depth of field in your photo. This will keep more of the foreground, midground, and background in focus. It tends to make colors more vibrant too.

Your camera will have all sorts of scene modes to explore. Consider the situation you’re in and see if your camera has a scene mode to help you out.

But still, your photos might not turn out great. Why? Because ultimately your camera is most obsessed with making your photo bright enough. And you might be pointing it at a scene that is really hard for the camera to capture properly.

Light and creativity

When you put your camera on Auto mode, it has to balance three main settings in order to make a picture out of light.

The three settings are ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Each of these three settings contributes to the overall brightness or exposure of your photo. But aperture and shutter speed have creative effects as well.

Aperture contributes toward brightening or darkening your photo, but will also help make your background out of focus, or keep it in focus.

Shutter speed contributes toward brightening or darkening your photo, but will also help freeze the action or make your photo blurry.

ISO contributes toward brightening or darkening your photo but doesn’t really have its own creative effect.

I’ll show you how to begin taking control of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings so that you can get a predictably good photo. I mean a photo that is bright enough without being too bright, a photo where the action is captured as you wish and the background is in or out of focus as you desire.

A little more like the photo on the right than the photo on the left!

Good vs Bad Photo

Make one decision

The good news is, you can take some control of your camera without the burden of having to take full control. You can take control over one of the three main settings that are part of the exposure triangle. But how do you choose which one?

You can make this decision by asking yourself what’s more important; freezing the action, or blurring the background?

If you’re taking pictures of birds, sports, or other quick-moving subjects, you’re likely most concerned with freezing the action. If you’re taking a portrait, you’re most likely concerned with an out-of-focus background or, bokeh.

In order to achieve an out-of-focus background, we’ll begin with a setting called aperture.

Aperture Mode

If you’re most concerned with whether or not your background is in focus, choose Aperture mode (also known as Aperture Priority).

For Nikon and most other cameras, turn your dial to A.
For Canon, turn it to Av.
If you’re using a Fuji, you control the aperture with a ring on the lens.

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings-Aperture Mode

When you put your camera on Aperture mode, you’re telling your camera that you want to control the aperture but you want the camera to control the shutter speed and ISO.

You use aperture to control whether or not your background is in focus, but what exactly is aperture?

To understand aperture, think about your kitchen sink. Picture turning the tap on full-blast. The water will come rushing out of the tap. But you could also turn the tap on gently so that there is a slow trickle of water.

That’s what aperture is, except with light.

Open your aperture up and get a strong flow of light coming through your lens. Close the aperture, and you’ll only have a trickle of light.

The creative effect of aperture

Open up your aperture and your background will be more out of focus (great for portraits). Close your aperture a bit and your background will be more in focus (great for landscapes).

The aperture is measured in numbers such as 1.8 or 3.5 or 5.6 or 8 or 11, etc. The smaller the number, the more open the aperture. The larger the number, the more closed.

This was an aperture of f/4. The background is out of focus. The more you bring your subject away from the background, the more out of focus the background will look.

The aperture was set to f/11 for this photo so that the background is more in-focus.

The smaller the number and the more open the aperture, the more light that comes in and the more out of focus the background.

The larger the number and the more closed the background, the less light that comes in, and the more in-focus the background.

When you’re in Aperture mode, you use the scroller on your camera to open and close the aperture.

Choose Aperture mode when you’re most concerned about whether or not your background is in focus.

Image: If you close your aperture a bit, then you’ll have a greater depth of focus in your pho...

If you close your aperture a bit, then you’ll have a greater depth of focus in your photo. This photograph was made at f/5.6, but I would even recommend f/11 for landscape photos. Closing your aperture will help to keep both the foreground and background in focus.

beginners-guide-to-camera-settings-50mm lens

If you want your background to be blurred, then open your aperture as much as you can. That might be f/3.5 or f/5.6 on the lens that you’re using. If you have a 50mm lens then you can open all the way to f/1.8.

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings-50mm bokeh

The other way to help your background to go blurry is to step closer toward your subject.

The closer you get to them, the more the background goes out of focus.

ISO

Remember, ISO doesn’t exactly have a creative effect.

So what is ISO and when do you use it?

ISO is a magical setting that helps your camera to see in the dark.

So you would set your ISO according to the lighting conditions that you’re in.

Is it a bright sunny day? Then set your ISO to 100 or 200.
Perhaps the sky is overcast? Set your ISO to 400 or 800.
Are you in dim indoor light? Set your ISO to 1600 or 3200. Maybe even 6400!

You have two main options when it comes to ISO:

Set it to Auto and let the camera figure it out.
Take control of it yourself.

I recommend playing in Aperture mode with your ISO set to auto. That way, you can experiment with aperture and let the camera figure out ISO and shutter speed for you. In a moment, we’ll look at shutter mode. In that case, I recommend leaving your ISO on auto as well. Take control of ISO when you feel comfortable with the other settings.

A word of caution about ISO

The higher you raise your ISO to help capture the light, the more noise or graininess will be introduced in your photo – especially in low light. The noise or grain is intensified all the more if you brighten your photos in post-processing (with a program such as Lightroom).

I don’t always mind a little noise or graininess in my photos. Noise and graininess are normally considered an imperfection in our photos. To me, it reflects the graininess or imperfection of everyday life and the moment by moment struggle that we have as photographers when we take pictures.

My photos are filled with imperfections, as am I in real life. If everything in my photo looks good except for the grain, then I am happy. I have an old iPhone that I keep around just for its nostalgic graininess.

The grain or digital noise is easily seen in this high ISO photo. Generally, the newer the camera and the larger the sensor, the less of a problem you’ll have with noise.

Shutter Mode

If your main concern is freezing the action, then you should choose Shutter mode (also known as Shutter Priority).

Nikon – set your dial to S.
Canon – set your dial to Tv.
Fuji – look for the dial with numbers like 125, 250, 500, etc.

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings-Shutter mode

If the aperture is how much flow of water is coming out of the tap, then shutter speed is how long the water comes out for.

Aperture controls how much flow of light comes into the camera, while shutter speed controls how long that flow comes in for.

The quicker the shutter speed, the less light that comes in.

The slower the shutter speed, the more light that comes in.

It’s generally the case that in bright light you should have a quicker shutter speed, and in dim light, you need a slower shutter speed. The danger with a slower shutter speed is that your photo may become blurry.

Why will your photo become blurry with a slow shutter speed?

Consider shutter speed being how long it takes for your camera to take a picture. A quick shutter speed means that the photo is taken so quickly that the action is frozen in the photo. But a slower shutter speed means that the camera takes longer to take the photo and any movement in the scene becomes smeared across the photo.

Two circumstances lead to a blurry photo. The first is that you have moved the camera while taking the picture – often referred to as camera shake. Maybe your hand shakes, or the camera vibrates as you take the photo.

You must hold the camera still and consider using a tripod when your photos turn out like this.

Another possibility is that your camera is perfectly still but your subject is moving. If the person you’re photographing is moving, they may be smeared across the photo.

But even if you put your camera on a tripod, a moving subject may cause motion blur.

So what does it take to freeze the action?

You’ll notice that shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second. You’ll see numbers such as 1/125th or 1/2000th. Basically, the smaller the fraction, the more likely you are to freeze the action.

So 1/2000th will likely freeze the action, but 1/60th likely will not.

Shutter speed of 1/40th of a second. The camera was held still so that the background was sharp, but the motion is blurred.

Absolute-Beginners-Guide-to-Camera-Settings - Freeze the action

A shutter speed of 1/500th of a second froze the motion of her hair as she turned.

A shutter speed of 1/2500th froze him as he bounced in the air.

Slow shutter speed creative effects

These silky waterfalls were captured using a slow shutter speed. ISO 100, 1-second shutter speed

The panning technique uses a combination of slow shutter speed and following the movement of your subject with the camera. The shutter speed was 1/20th of a second.

Phases of the moon

Partial lunar eclipse, England

The amount of sunlight that reflects on the Moon’s surface that we can see from our point of view on Earth varies every day, and this is what we refer to as a Moon phase.

Moon phases change during the lunar month from a New Moon (which occurs the moment the Sun and Moon are aligned, with the Sun and Earth on opposite sides of the Moon) to a Waxing Crescent moon (when a thin sliver of the Moon becomes visible after a New Moon), First Quarter Moon (the moment the Moon has reached the first quarter of its orbit around Earth), Waxing Gibbous Moon, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous Moon, Third Quarter Moon and Waning Crescent Moon.

Different types of full moons

Super Blue Blood Moon, Oxford

A full moon occurs when the side of the Moon facing Earth is fully lit up by the Sun. There are several types of unusual full moons that look different in color and size due to its position to the Sun and Earth. These include blood moons (that appears reddish and occur during a total lunar eclipse, when Earth lines up between the Moon and the Sun); Supermoons (a moon that appears larger because it is closer to Earth), Blue Moons (the “extra” Moon in a season with four Full Moons or the second Full Moon in a calendar month) and Harvest Moons (the full, bright Moon that occurs closest to the start of Autumn), for example.

The equipment

When photographing the full moon or different phases of the moon, you will need some essential pieces of equipment. I recommend you use a tripod for stability. Whilst you may get away with hand-holding your camera, you will get better results by mounting your camera on a tripod and avoiding camera shake. In addition, a remote shutter release cable is a useful bit of kit to help prevent camera shake. It is not essential as you can use your cameras self-timer function.

Which lens to use

Moon over the landscape, Dartmoor, England

The type of lens you use largely depends on whether you would like to capture the moon in the landscape, or as a detailed close-up. Wide-angle lenses are great to photograph the moon as it moves over an interesting landscape. Alternatively, a telephoto lens is a great choice for getting closer to the moon to reveal its surface details. Consider using a long focal length lens with a range of 300-400mm.

Which camera settings to use

Moonrise, England

Once you have chosen a lens and set your camera on a tripod, you will need to select your settings. Firstly, I would recommend setting your ISO to 100 to prevent noise and grain in your images. Next, select an aperture in the region of f/8 – f/16 to achieve clearer and cleaner shots. In terms of shutter speed, 1/60th to 1/125th should be a great starting point.

Focus on the moon

Moon and sky, England

When you have applied the settings, all you now need to do is set the focus of your camera. I like to use my cameras manual focus to focus on the Moon. Once the focusing distance to the Moon looks sharp using manual focus, you are ready to shoot the Moon.

In my experience, manual focus works better than autofocus as the Moon’s surface is sometimes too dark to be recognized by the camera’s autofocus and I find manual focus to be more reliable in obtaining sharper shots in low light. By using manual focus, if you’re camera settings aren’t spot-on for any reason, you will still have reasonably sharp photos that you can recover in your editing software.

If you apply all of these tips, you’ll achieve better Moon photography and be equipped to photograph the Moon at the best time.

Conclusion

In summary, photographing the Moon is one of the most enjoyable subjects any photographer can learn. To achieve better photos of the different phases and types of the Moon, be sure to use a tripod. Also, consider a remote cable release, choose a wide-angle or telephoto lens, get your settings right, and focus your camera on the Moon manually.

Do you have any other tips for better Moon photography? Alternatively, share your pictures of the Earth’s natural satellite or the Moon shining brightly over your chosen scene with us below.

The post Equipment and Camera Settings You’ll Need for Better Moon Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

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Secret Camera Settings that Supercharge your JPEG Photos

09 Jan

The post Secret Camera Settings that Supercharge your JPEG Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Shooting pictures in RAW definitely has its advantages, but there are plenty of good reasons you might want to shoot using the JPEG format as well. It really comes down to personal preference, and both types of file formats have their pros and cons.

One of the biggest assets of the RAW format is that you can adjust your images as much as you want in programs like Lightroom or Luminar. Whereas the lossy compression algorithms used to create JPEG files leave much less room for post-processing flexibility. For this reason, to get the most out of your JPEG files, there are some important settings in your camera you should learn and customize to get your photos looking their best.

When you use RAW, you have access to the full data readout from your camera’s sensor. None of the data used to create your image was tossed out by your camera to compress the image and save memory card space. When shooting JPEG, your camera makes a series of determinations on the fly. It calculates what it thinks are the best values for various settings to get a pleasing photo almost like following a recipe to bake a cake. You can tweak that recipe to get the final output to be more customized to your taste. Doing so can be extremely helpful in many different photography settings.

White Balance

White balance is perhaps the most critical setting for JPEG shooters to understand. Getting this right can have a massive impact on how your images look. If you notice your images looking slightly yellow or blue, it’s likely due to the white balance not being calibrated correctly. Most people only use the Auto White Balance option which leaves the heavy lifting up to the digital brain inside your camera.

However, it’s straightforward to set the white balance by yourself and get much better results, particularly in tricky lighting situations. Especially indoors.

Setting the white balance at this cat show was really tricky due to the old fluorescent lights at the venue. Several of my auto white balance shots had a yellow tint, so I set the proper white balance in my camera and was able to achieve much better results.

It only takes a few seconds to set the white balance when shooting JPG and it can save you a lot of hassle in the long run. All DSLR and Mirrorless cameras, as well as most point-and-shoots, come with a variety of white balance settings. You can specify these if you know a little bit about the lighting conditions in which you are shooting. Many cameras have options such as Sunlight, Cloudy, Incandescent, Shade, even different types of fluorescent lighting. These can be selected to help make your photos look as good as possible.

The Overcast white balance setting gave me just the right look I was aiming for in this shot.

In my experience, the Auto white balance setting works great outdoors. However, when shooting inside, even the latest cameras can get tripped up by the many different types of artificial light. If you’re at a school, office, sporting event or another indoor setting with fluorescent lights, just choosing that option in your White Balance menu can make a huge difference to how your photos turn out. Try different settings and see what you like. Chances are, one of the pre-selected settings can help a great deal if you notice your photos looking a little blue or orange.

The picture I wanted to take was not what I ended up with. I missed a good opportunity largely due to improper white balance settings. A richer, more natural tone was what I wanted, but the image came out much cooler than I intended because I did not take a few seconds to set a proper white balance.

Finally, you can go all out and set a white balance of your own, which isn’t as big of a deal as it might sound. Every camera has its way of doing this. As long as you have a mostly white surface to point your camera at you should be all set (ideally it works if the surface is just slightly gray). Once again, the actual procedure is going to be different on every camera, and if you’re unsure do an internet search of your camera model and “custom white balance.” You should find the information you need.

Sharpening

While you adjust White Balance for various photography situations, Sharpening is a setting that you fine-tune to your taste and leave as-is. Of course, each photographer is different, but I’ve found I like a certain level of sharpening on all my JPG photos. This is because I have a particular type of look that I’m trying to achieve. Sharpening can’t fix an out-of-focus image. However, it can give your photos a certain level of pizzazz or clarity that you might have seen in other pictures but aren’t quite sure how to achieve on your own.

I ramped up the in-camera sharpening to get a clean, crisp image of these crayons. The foreground and background are just slightly out of focus due to shallow depth of field, but the middle is tack sharp.

Be careful not to set the sharpening too high though. Over-sharpening can lead to images that look fake and over-processed. However, you might find that with a few tweaks to the sharpening setting you can get your images to look much better.

Contrast

Adjusting the contrast slider can make dull images come to life and punch-up an otherwise boring image. Either you or your camera, depending on your shooting mode, makes decisions about how bright or dark your images are based on the exposure settings. The contrast becomes the overall difference between the brightest and darkest portions of your pictures. Dialing up the contrast makes bright parts brighter and dark parts darker, whereas lowering the value will have the opposite effect.

Adjusting the contrast value helped me get the shot I was aiming for.

Contrast may seem like such a simple thing and, for the most part, it is. But it’s something that often gets overlooked by casual photographers. They may want to have nice JPEG shots straight out of their cameras and not worry about fussing with all the technical details. You might find that you prefer your photos to have a little contrast lending an interesting dynamic element to them. Or, perhaps you want your images to be a bit more subdued. Try adjusting the contrast slider, and you might realize that it does the sort of thing you have always been trying to achieve but never quite knew how to get.

Saturation

If you have ever played around with filters on apps like Instagram you probably noticed that some of them make your colors pop and stand out while others have more subdued, muted tones. This effect is due in large (but not exclusive) part to saturation adjustments. You can fine-tune this on your camera to customize the look of your images. Some photographers prefer an over-saturated look – especially when taking nature or landscape pictures. It also works well for certain types of portraits too.

Adjusting your saturation after you take a picture can work, but it’s best to get it right in camera if possible.

Some photographers like a softer touch and prefer their JPEG files to be less saturated for a calm, timeless look. It’s all based on personal preference of the photographer. It can be useful and time-saving to change the saturation in-camera instead of in an image editing program. Adjusting the saturation is as simple as increasing or decreasing the value in your camera. You may find, after several test shots, that you prefer your images to be somewhat over or under-saturated. Either way, it’s worth giving it a try to see what you end up liking.

Other settings

Most cameras have additional custom settings you can change in addition to the basic ones covered so far. They can include things like film simulations, grain effects, highlight/shadow adjustments, and noise reduction, which can be very handy when shooting at higher ISO levels. If you have never explored these settings before, it’s a good idea to dive into your camera menus and do some experimenting.

If you dig into your camera menus you will find many other settings you can change to get just the right look you are going for.

Change some numbers, take some test shots, and see how the results compare to your normal shooting mode. It’s a good bet that you’ll end up with some appealing results. At the very least, you may learn more about your camera than you did before.

Custom Banks

A feature offered by many cameras is the ability to save banks of custom settings you can activate at will. Even my old Nikon D200, which came out in 2006, had this ability. The same is also true for every camera I own today. You can save specific values of most of your image adjustments such as Saturation and Contrast to a bank that you can recall at will. Using these custom settings means you don’t have to change individual values every time you want to shoot with a specific style.

This Fuji X100F has seven custom banks where you can save a huge variety of settings. You can switch between each bank with the touch of a button.

Think of this method as creating custom presets in Lightroom that you can apply to your camera with the touch of a button. If you’re shooting outdoors, you may have an in-camera preset with greater saturation and contrast. Perhaps you find yourself shooting school basketball games, so you create a preset with custom white balance and sharpening levels. If your camera does offer this feature, you can find it in the menus, or you can search online for your camera as well as the phrase “custom setting bank.”

Wrap up

I know not everyone shoots in JPEG, but if you do, some of these custom settings can come in handy and save you a lot of time. However, be aware that it’s difficult to undo them afterward. Unlike RAW, your JPEG files contain much less wiggle room and if you crank up the saturation and contrast in your camera, it’s challenging to undo these changes on your computer. Still, if you pay attention to what you are doing and make your adjustments carefully, you might be surprised at how useful these settings can be.

The post Secret Camera Settings that Supercharge your JPEG Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography

01 Oct

In this article and video, you will discover the best camera settings for portrait photography for taking photos in natural light and for flash photography. Whether you are brand new to portrait photography or a seasoned pro, you will benefit from these helpful photo tips.

Best camera settings for Portrait Photography

If you prefer watching videos to reading, I have also included a video that will walk you through these photo tips for taking photographs in both natural light and for using fill flash.

Taking photos in natural light is the most common so we will start with those camera settings first.

#1 Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography

I suggest you set your camera to manual mode to give yourself more creative control of your exposure. Sure, it will take a little extra time to capture your images but you are a much better judge of how you want the final image to look than your camera.

ISO

First choose your ISO, which is usually the lowest setting in natural light, ISO 100 on most cameras. Some Nikon cameras have a lower ISO and allow you to you choose a native ISO of 64. Set your ISO as low as possible to avoid extra noise and that grainy look you will get if you use higher ISO settings.

best camera settings for natural light portraits

Aperture

Step two, decide which aperture you would like to use. For an out of focus background use an aperture like f/1.4. If you would like more of the background in focus or a sharper image, in most cases using an aperture that is two to three stops higher than the minimum aperture will be the sharpest point of the lens.

For example, an f/2.8 lens will be at its sharpest point at around f/5.6 to f/8. If you are a little confused by that, feel free to post your questions in the comment box below this article.

Read more here: How To Find Your Lens’s Sweet Spot: A Beginner’s Guide to Sharper Images

best portrait settings mirrorless cameras

Shutter Speed

Once you have set your ISO and decided on your aperture your next step is to refer to your in-camera meter and adjust your shutter speed until you get a center reading. Then take a test shot and have a look at your camera’s LCD screen and histogram.

Make sure your histogram is as far to the right as possible without blowing out the highlights in your image. Refer to the video above for some examples of how the histogram should look on your LCD screen.

best camera settings for high speed sync

A general rule is to set your shutter speed two times the focal length of your lens. For example, if you were using a 100mm prime lens then you would set a minimum shutter speed of 1/200th to avoid camera shake and image blur.

There are exceptions to this rule. If you are using a tripod or you have in-camera stabilization, like some mirrorless cameras have, or you are using a lens that has built-in image stabilization, then you can photograph at lower shutter speeds.

best camera settings for portrait photography with flash

Step #2 Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography Using Flash

When it comes to using flash photography there are a couple of different strobes that are in common use today. There are smaller speedlights that fit on your camera’s hotshoe mount and there are larger studio strobes.

There are also strobe units that function differently. Some strobe systems do not allow you to shoot at a shutter speed faster than 1/200th (the camera’s sync speed). Other strobe setups will allow you to use something called (high-speed sync mode) to shoot with flash up to a shutter speed of 1/8000th.

best camera settings for portraits using fill flash

If a majority of your portrait photography is going to take place outdoors, then I would consider a strobe like the Godox AD600 Pro which is what I used to take a majority of the images in this article. The Godox AD600 Pro allows you to use high-speed sync and flash at shutter speeds of up to 1/8000th.

If your current strobe does not allow you to take photos at above 1/200th, you can use a filter like a B+W 3-stop ND filter which will allow you to shoot at a shutter speed of 1/200th but also at an aperture 3-stops larger than you could without it.

For example, with a 3-stop ND filter, you can shoot at f/2.8 instead of f/8 for the same exposure.

best camera setting for natural light portraits

Another important thing to keep in mind if you are shooting outdoors is that you will achieve better results if you shoot closer to sunrise or sunset when the sun is less harsh.

The image above was taken one hour before sunset in the shade and provides a nice even light on the subject’s face. If you would like softer light, then avoid shooting in the middle of the day or move to the shade if you do not have the luxury of shooting just before sunset.

Step #3 Practice These Tips and Explore Your Creativity

best camera settings for portraits at golden hour

One last tip I have for you is to set your camera’s LCD screen brightness level to 4 or 5 and to leave it there. Make sure your LCD screen brightness is not set to auto. That is because it will be difficult for you to gauge your exposure level if your LCD screen brightness is constantly changing.

Check your camera’s settings and set your LCD screen brightness level manually and keep it at the same setting for future photo outings.

best camera settings for shooting with strobes

Conclusion

If you are new to shooting in manual mode it may seem a little difficult at first. But with a little practice, you will be shooting like a pro.

If you have any questions about the best camera settings for portrait photography that were covered in this article, feel free to ask in the comment box below this article. I look forward to hearing from you.

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5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

03 Jun

This article will detail five camera settings that are essential and which all macro photographers should know. It was inspired by Will Nichols’ excellent tips Five Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know. You will notice two main themes in this article – ensuring a perfect point of focus and ensuring maximum sharpness. Both of which are critical in macro photography.

Included in the list of settings are Manual Focus, Manual Mode, Live View, the self-timer, and burst mode. By familiarizing yourself with these settings, your macro photography will grow by leaps and bounds.

dahlia macro photography flower - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

1. Manual Focus

Manual focus is one of the most important tools in a macro photographer’s toolkit. When working at high magnifications, you cannot rely on a lens’s autofocus capabilities for a couple of reasons.

First, Manual Focus is necessary for creative macro photography. In macro photography, particularly in more abstract macro photography, you have to make your point of focus count. Only by using Manual Focus, can you do so with the required pinpoint accuracy.

Secondly, macro lenses tend to have relatively bad autofocus capabilities, especially at high magnifications. It becomes frustrating to sit and wait while the lens pans back and forth (this is an even bigger problem in low light).

Macro photography grape hyacinth abstract - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

By using Manual Focus, I was able to render the tip of the flower sharp.

The solution? Learn to use Manual Focus. With a bit of practice, you’ll find that you can focus quickly and efficiently, and your keeper rate will immediately increase.

Flower Abstract Macro Photography pink flower - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

2. Aperture Priority or Manual Mode

There’s no way around this. A macro photographer must have maximum control over their depth of field.

At the high magnifications that are characteristic of macro photography, depth of field is often mere millimeters. And, as touched on above, it is essential that you use that in-focus area to your advantage.

One way to do this is by carefully selecting your depth of field. This may involve using a shallow depth of field for a more abstract look, or a large depth of field so as to ensure a completely sharp subject. Regardless, being able to modify your depth of field from subject to subject, from image to image, is crucial.

Tulip abstract macro photography - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

I knew that I needed a very shallow depth of field if I wanted to pull off this tulip photograph. I used Manual Mode to select an aperture of f/4.2.

There are two settings that offer this level of control: Aperture Priority and Manual Mode. Aperture Priority Mode (labeled A or Av on your camera mode dial) allows you to set the aperture (and hence adjust the depth of field). Then the camera sets the shutter speed based on its internal light meter. Manual Mode (labeled M on your camera mode dial) allows you to control the aperture but also gives you control over the shutter speed.

I generally use Manual Mode, because I like to make split-second decisions regarding the shutter speed. But there are good reasons to use aperture priority mode as well. Whichever mode you choose, make sure that you are consciously adjusting the depth of field to fit your creative vision.

macro photography abstract trout lily - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

3. Live View

Live View is useful in macro photography for a few reasons.

First, Live View allows for you to check your point of focus. As mentioned above, nailing your desired point of focus is essential in macro photography. With Live View, you can zoom in on the LCD screen to ensure that you are not front-focusing or back-focusing.

macro photography abstract flower - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

Live View allows for you to make an image such as this where you can carefully focus on the base of the flower.

Furthermore, on some camera bodies, Live View enables you to reduce camera shake and keep your images sharp.

How? For the relevant camera bodies (I recommend that you check to see if this is true for your camera because it is an excellent trick), when Live View is activated, the mirror in your camera immediately flips up. Normally, this mirror flip occurs when you press the shutter release, causing camera vibration, and thus reducing sharpness.

But with Live View, this pre-flip means that, when you ultimately press the shutter release, no extra vibration occurs.

Macro photography black eyed susan abstract - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

I took this handheld image at dusk, and just barely managed a sharp image.

4. Burst Mode

If you always use a tripod when shooting macro, feel free to ignore this tip. But for those who don’t like the weight or reduced flexibility that a tripod brings, Burst Mode can be a great tool.

What is Burst Mode? This is the camera setting that allows rapid-fire photography when you hold down the shutter release button. It ranges from a few frames per second to upwards of 10 (depending on your camera model).

While primarily used by wildlife, sports, and bird photographers in order to capture split-second action in the field, Burst Mode can also be used by macro photographers in order to ensure maximum focusing accuracy.

macro photography seedhead abstract - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

I took this photograph while hand-holding at an extreme magnification. Without burst mode, I probably would have failed to get a usable image.

Macro photographers are often working at such high magnifications that it’s difficult to ensure perfect focusing even when using the above settings. This is where Burst Mode comes in. By taking a series of images, any slight camera motion is controlled. Even if a few photographs are out of focus, you are likely to be satisfied with some of the others.

5. Two-Second Self-Timer

A final setting that is useful for macro photographers is the two-second self-timer. When shooting (with or without a tripod) in low light with a large depth of field, you might struggle to get sharp images. Part of the problem may be camera shake, caused when you press the shutter release button. Your finger pushes the button but also rocks the camera at the same time.

The solution is to use the two-second self-timer. This is a setting offered by most DSLRs which allows you to obtain maximum sharpness and may be the difference between a usable image and a blurry one.

macro photography abstract lights - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

When shooting in the evening, the two-second timer can be extremely useful.

Conclusion

By familiarizing yourself with these five settings; Manual Focus, Manual Mode, Live View, Burst Mode and the two-second self timer – you will have the technical grounding that all macro photographers need.

Can you think of any others settings that all macro photographers should know? Please share them in the comments below.

macro photography abstract - 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know

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How to Choose Your Lightroom Export Settings for Printing

19 May

If you haven’t yet printed some of your favorite photos, trust me you are missing out on a lot. The joy and pleasure that you get by looking at the prints cannot be matched by the digital copies. This article might excite those photographers who have gotten their photos printed at least once. But if you haven’t yet, this might be the beginning, give it a try!

The majority of you may already be using Adobe Lightroom to post-process and color correct your photos. But did you know that you might be saving your final digital copy to be sent to the printer using the wrong export settings? Do not panic, this article will help you cross-check some of the key export settings that you want to follow.

Getting the Dimensions Correct

Trust me, this is one of the most basic and silliest mistakes that you might make while exporting the final copy to be sent for printing. To make sure that you get the dimensions correct, simply crop the image (if needed) using the desired aspect ratio the moment you import the photo to Lightroom. This will make sure that the final prints are in the perfect dimensions and you do not have to pay the printer extra to correct the ratio.

Note: You can use a Virtual Copy to crop for print and leave the original for online.

crop sizes and ratios in Lightroom

Select the Correct Color Space

A good quality print is one which has the most accurate color representation. If you have been getting a difference in colors between what you see on your screen and what you get on your prints, something might be wrong with the color space.

The color space of a digital image is the most important aspect of accurate color representation in a print. You need to make sure that you are selecting the AdobeRGB or any other color space as advised by your printer. AdobeRGB is a larger color space as compared to the sRGB, which is the default color space in the export setting. To know more about the color space, read: AdobeRGB vs sRGB Color Space.

Some printers may have their own custom color profiles, which they may or may not share with you. So, in that case, they would ask you for AdobeRGB color space file and later export the file as per their custom profile. If you are unsure about the printer, simply export the photo as AdobeRGB color space.

Note: Many labs and printers in the USA use the smaller sRGB space, so if you send AdobeRGB files for printing you will get unexpected color in your prints when they come back. Be sure and ask the lab what they use and prefer beforehand.

Once you have selected the color space, make sure to keep the Bit Depth as 16 bits/component. This will make sure that the color transition and falloff is gradual.

Select the Correct Image Format

Once you are done with selecting the required color space, it is important to choose the correct image format. You can go with the JPEG format but if you are opting for high-quality or a big print, save it as a TIFF. This file format has much more information as compared to a JPEG and is vastly accepted by the printers.

Note: Again check with your lab first. Some will not accept a TIFF file.

Select the Correct PPI (Pixel Per Inch)

PPI in a photo print means the number of pixels that are there per inch of the photo. The ideal and the best possible quality is 300ppi, but you can also choose 240ppi if required. Basically, the more the PPI the better print quality you would get. If you are getting bigger prints and do not want the photo to look pixelated, try saving the photo with maximum possible PPI (ideally 300ppi in the case of prints).

Note: Once again ask your lab. Some may have a standard PPI that they use and prefer. Canvas prints, for example, are often at 150ppi.

Finish up

Once you are done selecting these four major export settings, you shall be good to export the file for prints. You can always experiment with these settings as there are no hard and fast rules. These were just some tips and suggestions I wanted to share as per my experience.

One other thing to make note of is whether or not you are enlarging the image. Be careful when upsizing files as there are good and bad ways to do that, but that is beyond the scope of this article. Read more here: Image Size and Resolution Explained for Print and Onscreen

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Camera Basics – Two Video Tutorials to Help You Master Your Camera Settings

12 May

Okay so you’ve got a new camera and want to learn some camera basics, these two video tutorials will give you a hand. Or perhaps you’ve been shooting for a while and want to get off Auto mode – this applies to you as well.

Camera Basics

In this first video, Peter McKinnon explains the three parts of the exposure triangle in an easy to understand format.

Understanding Exposure

Next, in this second video, Tony Northrup demonstrates the basics of exposure and how the elements of the exposure triangle work together.

One thing he explains well is how adjusting just one of the three parts of the exposure triangle doesn’t make the photo darker or brighter when using one of the auto or semi-automatic modes.

Tony encourages you to watch his demonstration and then set up a similar arrangement in your home and try the experiments yourself. This is a great way to learn so that you can really see the results of changing the various settings and understand how they work.

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5 Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know

26 Oct

The first time you pick up a camera it can be pretty confusing. With all the bells and whistles crammed inside even entry-level DSLRs nowadays, knowing where to start is anyone’s guess. Teaching yourself, through trial and error, is one of the best means-tested ways to come to grips with your camera and learn how to use it. But sometimes that takes a while, so here are some of the camera settings that I think every photographer needs to know about when they get their hands on a DSLR.

1. Live View Stops Mirror Slap

That satisfying, reassuring “clunk” sound you hear when you press the shutter button isn’t actually the shutter firing on the camera. In fact, that is the mirror moving up and down to expose the sensor to the world. But that relatively aggressive motion of the mirror can introduce camera shake into your images.

It’s something you might notice if you’re shooting a long exposure, but there’s an easy way around it. Switch the camera into Live View mode, forcing the mirror to raise permanently (until you turn off that mode) so that you can see the image on the LCD screen. This means that when you do actually press the button, only the shutter itself is moving – no need to worry about that mirror thudding up and down anymore.

Long exposures are better shot in Live View. 5 Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know

2. Auto ISO and Manual Mode Helps You Learn

Lots of photographers stay in Automatic mode because of the fear of missing images when they switch to Manual mode. To remove this fear, try shooting in Manual mode with Auto ISO enabled. This means that the camera is still in control of one of the three factors affecting exposure (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) so that it can balance out the settings with the ISO. But now you get to control the aperture and shutter speed yourself, changing them around to see what effect they will have on your photo.

5 Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know

Use Manual mode and Auto ISO to experiment safely with the other camera settings.

Try slowing down the shutter speed, or narrowing the aperture of the lens, safe in the knowledge that auto ISO will do a pretty good job at balancing the exposure (unless you slow your shutter down a lot). Being able to experiment freely like this will help you to get a practical knowledge of the exposure triangle and how it works.

3. Disable Area Autofocus Modes

The first thing you should do is disable any Area (zone) Autofocus modes. This is where the camera picks and chooses where it focuses, as it will rarely be at the point you would want. Instead, try using single-point focus. This allows you to be precise and line-up the black square over the target area in the scene.

Here I used single-point focus to nail the focus on the eye.

If you were taking a photo of a dog, for example, it’s much better to focus on the eyes than to rely on the camera to find that spot for you. Most likely, the camera would be focused on the end of the dog’s nose – not very good for an impactful shot.

4. Mute Your Camera

As a wildlife photographer, one of the really annoying things to hear in a quiet hide or nature reserve is the beep of someone’s camera. Whenever I get a new camera, it’s not long before I dive into the menu and disable all of the autofocus beeps, menu selection beeps, and any other noises the camera might feel so inclined to make.

Mute your camera to avoid disturbing sensitive animals – or people!

Not only is it pretty pointless, it could alert an animal to your presence! So, wildlife photographers, don’t do it.

5. Pay Attention to the White Balance Setting

The White Balance setting is one that can totally transform your images in a second, but it’s one that most people ignore for quite a while and just leave in auto mode.

If you’re shooting in JPEG file format, and not raw, then the White Balance choice you make in the camera does matter. If you’re shooting raw, you can adjust this later during post-production.

Adjust your white balance for proper color replication.

Why not Auto White Balance? I find that it never gets things right. Colors always look much flatter and dull, whereas the daylight or cloudy presets add an immediate punch to your shot. Try it, and you’ll probably find things really do change for the better.

You can also look at the manual White Balance setting (measured in degrees Kelvin) if you want to have a much more fine-tuned control over this setting.

Summary

Hopefully, these five tips will help you to navigate through the minefield that is a new DSLR camera. There are of course so many more things to know – and that’s where Digital Photography School can help you, of course. But these are some things that I think will make life easier for you as a new DSLR user.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other great tips or camera settings for new DSLR users!

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These Nikon videos break down the gear and settings you need to shoot the eclipse

08 Jul

The total solar eclipse that’s about to take place next month presents an extremely rare photo opportunity. We have some pointers (and a little bit of opinion) coming at you from an expert in the coming days, but in the meantime, the folks at Nikon have put together a useful pair of tutorial videos that will help you nail that perfect eclipse shot when the time comes.

To be clear: these videos were created by the Nikon USA YouTube channel. To that end, there are a few points in the gear video specifically where the branding is laid on pretty thick; however, if you can get past the PR, the information is very useful and, in fact, brand-agnostic. Photographer Lucas Gilman knows his stuff.

Nikon broke down their tutorial into two 3-minute videos: Gear & Prep and Camera Settings. If you’re planning to shoot the eclipse, grab yourself a pen and pad, scroll down, and click play.

Part 1: Gear and Preparation

The first stop on the gear and prep train is safety—get proper eye protection and slap a solar filter onto your lens to prevent sensor damage. Then, Gilman touches on the kind of camera and lens you should choose.

For his needs, he’s picked a D500 APS-C body for a bit of extra reach, and a Nikkor 200-500mm lens attached to a Nikon 1.4x teleconverter.

Finally, Gilman outlines some of the accessories you’ll want to bring along. Namely: a stable tripod, extra memory cards, a few fully charged batteries, and a cable release.

Camera Settings

Now that you have the proper gear, it’s time to set up your camera. In the second video, Gilman discusses how to determine the proper exposure for two key eclipse shots: a closeup of the sun at totality and photographing the crescent.

While your settings will obviously vary depending on the conditions on the day you’re out there shooting, the tips in the video above will get you most of the way there.

Photos courtesy of Nikon USA

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Posts Tagged ‘Settings’

1. Use Aperture Priority or Manual mode to set your exposure

2. Use back-button focus to capture tack-sharp photos

3. Use continuous shooting to nail the action shots

4. Choose a shutter speed of at least 1/500s (and probably faster)

5. Use the lowest ISO you can afford for noise-free photos

5 camera settings every bird photographer should know: Conclusion

Photographs are made with light

Small steps

Auto mode

Auto mode exercise

Problems with Auto mode

How to tell your camera what you’re taking a picture of

Light and creativity

Make one decision

Aperture Mode

The creative effect of aperture

ISO

A word of caution about ISO

Shutter Mode

Why will your photo become blurry with a slow shutter speed?

So what does it take to freeze the action?

Slow shutter speed creative effects

Other articles to explore

Phases of the moon

Different types of full moons

The equipment

Which lens to use

Which camera settings to use

Focus on the moon

Conclusion

White Balance

Sharpening

Contrast

Saturation

Other settings

Custom Banks

Wrap up

#1 Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography

ISO

Aperture

Shutter Speed

Step #2 Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography Using Flash

Step #3 Practice These Tips and Explore Your Creativity

Conclusion

1. Manual Focus

2. Aperture Priority or Manual Mode

3. Live View

4. Burst Mode

5. Two-Second Self-Timer

Conclusion

Getting the Dimensions Correct

Select the Correct Color Space

Select the Correct Image Format

Select the Correct PPI (Pixel Per Inch)

Finish up

Camera Basics

Understanding Exposure

1. Live View Stops Mirror Slap

2. Auto ISO and Manual Mode Helps You Learn

3. Disable Area Autofocus Modes

4. Mute Your Camera

5. Pay Attention to the White Balance Setting

Summary

Part 1: Gear and Preparation

Camera Settings